The Future Is Today

Chinese automaker GAC Motor is returning to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit for the fourth time and will be bringing three new vehicles, including an electric concept the automaker says is aimed at younger buyers.

The state-owned company, which operates the Gonow and Trumpchi brands, confirmed in November plans to enter the United States by the end of 2019 with the GS8 mid-size SUV. In China, the GS8 is marketed under the Trumpchi brand but GAC is considering changing the name for other markets due to the similarity with President Donald Trump’s surname.

GAC will use its latest Detroit presence to preview some of the vehicles that could potentially be sold stateside. One of these will be a compact sedan called the Trumpchi GA4. All GAC will say about the car is that it is based on a platform developed in-house.

We don’t have any details on the electric concept GAC plans to display in Detroit apart from it being called the Enverge and targeted at a young audience. A teaser shot reveals it will be an SUV of some sort.

Teaser for Enverge concept debuting at 2018 North American International Auto Show

GAC’s first vehicle confirmed for sale in the U.S. is the aforementioned Trumpchi GS8 mid-size SUV. It is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system.

The GS8 will be shown in Detroit alongside other existing Trumpchi models such as the GA8 luxury sedan and GM8 minivan.

The GA8 is Trumpchi’s flagship and comes powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 delivering 198 horsepower. The sedan stretches approximately 16.4 feet in length, making a potential rival to cars such as the Genesis G80 and Volvo S90. Like the GA8 sedan, the GM8 minivan is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4. We could envisage it going up against the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey.

Stay tuned for the reveal of GAC’s latest vehicles at the North American International Auto Show, which starts January 15. To learn about more vehicles appearing at the show, head to our dedicated hub.